Everything you need to know about measuring the temperature of medication cooling bags (2-8°C and 16-25°C)

Cooling medication correctly during transport is essential for people who depend on temperature-sensitive medication. At MediCooler, we test medication cooling bags thoroughly to make sure they can keep medication at a stable and safe temperature, as required for 2-8°C and 16-25°C medication storage. It is crucial that the temperature of the liquid in the medication itself is measured, and not the temperature of the ambient air in the bag. This gives an accurate picture of the actual condition of the medication.

What to look out for when testing medication cooling bags

When testing medication cooling bags, there are a few important factors that can affect performance:

• Ambient temperature: The temperature outside the cooling bag can affect performance.
• Type of medication: Different medications have specific storage conditions.
• Static temperature of the medication itself: It is essential that we measure the temperature of the liquid in the syringes, vials or pens, and not the air in the bag. Only then do we get an accurate picture of the actual temperature of the medication.

Equipment for testing medication cooling bags

To test our medication cooling bags, we use the following equipment:

1. Syringes, vials and pre-filled pens filled with water to simulate medication.
2. Temperature controllers and data logging equipment (e.g. MadgeTech Thermocouple Datalogger with 8 temperature probes or the Elitech GSP-6 with Glycol sensor).
3. A temperature-controlled test environment (such as a black box) that ensures a constant ambient temperature.

Testing Process for Medication Cooling Bags

To simulate realistic conditions, we follow this testing process:

1. Preparing the medication simulations: Syringes, vials and pens are filled with water and pre-cooled in a household fridge until they reach a temperature of 2-8°C.

2. Preparing the cooling bag: The gel packs are placed in the freezer at -18°C for at least 14 hours. This simulates a standard household freezer.

3. Placing the temperature probes: The MadgeTech temperature probes are placed in the syringes, pens and vials to measure the temperature of the liquid accurately. This method ensures that we track the temperature of the liquid itself, and not the fluctuating air in the cooling bag.

4. Testing in a controlled environment: The filled vials, syringes and pens are placed in the medication cooling bag together with the frozen gel packs. The bag is then placed in a black box kept at a constant temperature of 24.2°C.

5. Recording the results: The temperature is measured every minute and recorded by a computer for 12, 24 or 36 hours, depending on the specifications of the cooling bag being tested.

Why do we test at 24.2°C?

A temperature of 24.2°C is internationally recognised as the average ambient temperature and is also the standard temperature in aircraft. Because many users use medication cooling bags when flying, we test our bags at this temperature to obtain representative results.

What happens at higher ambient temperatures?

When a medication cooling bag designed to keep medication between 2-8°C for 24 hours is used at higher ambient temperatures (such as 30°C), the cooling bag will probably perform well for a shorter time. In this case, the bag may, for example, only keep the medication at the desired temperature for 12 or 13 hours instead of 24 hours.

MediCooler: Quality and Performance of Medication Cooling Bags

At MediCooler, we strive to develop medication cooling bags that perform optimally in different conditions. Our priority is measuring the actual medication temperature rather than the air, to ensure the most reliable test possible. Although the performance of the bags partly depends on environmental factors, we keep innovating and testing to make sure our products meet the strictest requirements for medication transport.